Cavs Handle Pistons; Celtics Lose to Bulls – Game 1 Recaps
Saturday afternoon turned out quite well for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only did they easily handle the Detroit Pistons at home, but the Boston Celtics lost their first game to the Chicago Bulls (in Boston). Cleveland has homecourt throughout the playoffs, but the road to the championship still goes through the Celtics, because they are last year’s winner.
Without Kevin Garnett, the Celtics are severely lacking in the middle and on defense. This was quite obvious, as Derrick Rose tied a rookie record for points in a debut playoff game w/ 36 pts. He also added 11 assists in the overtime victory, as the Bulls lead Boston by one game now. Ray Allen was horrible, shooting less than 20% on the day and missing a game-tying shot w/ 1 second left in OT.
Tyrus Thomas, much maligned during the season for his consistency, came through in the overtime hitting several outside jump shots. Not what he’s know for, but you take what you can get in the NBA Playoffs. Joakim Noah dominated the boards, finishing w/ 17 rebounds to lead the young & hungry Bulls team. They did not act like a 7th seed, but Rose in particular acts much older than his age on the court. As he discussed after the game, he’s not afraid of the challenge and believes he can play his game against anyone. Can’t beat real confidence.
Lebron James and Co. had the Pistons at home and it was clear throughout the game that Detroit cannot stop the Cavs. Cleveland shot close to 60% in the first half and continued getting their way in the second half as well. The Pistons, who were matching shot-for-shot in the first half, went a bit colder in the second and fell behind more & more as the game wore on. Cleveland leads the series 1-0 and I doubt anyone would be surprised if the Cavaliers sweep Detroit and move on the the next round.
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